Door latch lever



June 28, 1950 CHASE DOOR LATCH LEVER Filed Oct. 1,1957

INVE NTOR MARSTON CHASE A TTORNEYS DOOR LATCH IZEVER .Marston-Chase,3033 16th St. NW., Washingtn,'D.C.

Filed Oct. '1, 19 57, Set. No. 687,586

-6 Claims. ((31. =292-'-'-347) The present invention relates to a le'verattachment for door latch operating-mechanism particularly usefulonexisting door knob operated latches providing for unlatching withoutrequiring gripping 'by 'the hand.

Heretofore the conventional'latches used on doors included circularknobs on the inside and outside ofthe door with such knobs mounted on agenerally square shaft with the shaft operatively connected 'tothespring pressed latching slide belt which normally maintains a doorinclosed position. Such door'knobs have been difficult to operateparticularly when a persomhad both hands filled with packages 'orother-articles. A person with :a load frequently had tozpartially unloadthe articles placing them on the-flooror the ground and then open t e dos s n d e ay ant iinsr ased n a bili y of injury to persons. 7

An'object of the present inventionis to provide a sim- .ple attachment:readily applicable to existing installations of door slatches andproviding forpperation without requiring gripping of the usual handleand .permitting operation of the-door latch -by ,a movement whichcan beaccomplished even with the-hands filled.-

Another object -is to provide operating -mechanism for existing latcheswhich can be applied by home pwner without requiring 'theservices 'of askilled mechanic.

A further object is to provide-an operating means which may be used onpractically all latch mechanisms.

Other and further objects-will be apparent as the description proceedsand upon reference to tl1e-,=drawing wherein: Y

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a fragment of a door vshowing the door latchwith its operating knob. and a pre ferred form of the lever handledevices in operativeposition;

Fig. 2, a section taken on line of Fig. 1 showing theinterconnectionofthe lever and theknob' carrying shaft; 7 1

Fig. 3, a perspective view of the lever atta'c-h'ment for use on theunseen side of the door shown'inFig; -l;

Fig. 4, an elevation'al 'vi'ew-of the iever-attachment of Fig, '3'-asobserved from the door side thereof; i

Fig. =5, a perspective anothei form ofthei nvem tion showing a'paicr oftever device's;

ii, an elevation'al view 'o'f' one-of the' lever'devices 'ShOWH iH FigS;i

Figs. 7 and 8, a perspective, andelevational viewsrespectively, ofanother formof the invention adapted -for use on either side of thedoor;

' Fig. 9, a plan "view of a further modification in which theintermediate portion of the lever is rev'er'sely bent to provideadditional spacing between the handle lever device and the door;

Fig. 10, a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of shaft mountingend for the lever handle device; and

Fig. 11, a fragmentary elevational view of the portion of the leverattachment device'in Fig. 10.

Briefly, the present invention comprises a lever having a concave-convexportion at one end with a polygonal opening preferably punched throughsuch concaveconvex portion of a shape to fit existing square shaftsWhich carry conventional doorknobs, the lever projecting radially and insome case axially outwardly from such concave-convex portion andterminating in a hand or body engaging handle portion spacedsufiiciently from the doorknob and outwardly from the door to permitoperation by simple engagement with the hand, by engagement with anobject carried'in the hand, and/or by engagement with the knee or thelike, whereby a person wanting to pass throughthe door may oscillate thelatch operating shaft without requiring unloading of his burden. Theconcave-convex end is adapted to fit between the conventional escutcheonplate or ornamental rose and the doorknob being retained in place bysuch rose and doorknob whereby'no modification of the existing doorknobis required, the concave-convex end portion serving to paltially coverthe shoulder or bearing surface on the doorknob.

Upon more detailed reference to the drawing, a door 15 having a mortisedlatch 16 therein is operated by a conventional doorknob 17 'fixed'to thesquare latch operating shaft 13 which is operatively connected throughsuitable mechanism to the bevelled bolt 19 in a well known manner, theusual face plate 20 providing the ornamental covering for the key holeand latch operating shaft. The doorknob is gripped by the hand andturned to withdraw the bevel bolt 19 'to permit opening of the door 15.However, when a person is carrying a load it is diflicult to grip andoperate the conventional doorknob and the "present invention provides anattachment including a'lever 21 formed of a fiat sheet of 'metal havinga concave-convexrportion 22 projecting inwardly toward the door '15 atone end with a radially extending rim portion 22A. A square opening 23extends through the concave-convex portion and is preferably formed by apunching operation in which the metal of the concave-convex portion 22is displaced inwardly from the convex surface toward the door to providetongues 24 which engage opposite sides of the square shaft 18 to providea substantial area of contact between the said one end of the fiat levermember 21 and the shaft 18. I

It will be noted that the flat lever 21 extends an apprcciable distancebeyond the outline of the doorknob 17 and in the normal position of theshaft 18, such lever projects upwardly and toward the hinge edge of thedoor at approximately 45 to the horizontal so that the upper endo'fthelever 21is substantially above the doorknob 17 with which theattachment cooperates.

A web 25 prdjecting outwardly from the door and the flat lever member'21 forms a handle, a vertically projecting flange :26 on the outer edgeof handle portion 25 providing for a positive engagement with a personshand -or fingers for either pushing or pulling the door as desired. 7

The handle portion 2'5 is located above the top of the doorknob 17whereby a person may place an "object such as a box being carried on topof the handle web portion 25 and allow the weight of the box to movesuch handle web portion downwardly with resulting ro tation of the shaft18, whereby the bolt 19 will be released, the doorknob 17 serving as anautomatic stop to prevent the box from being dropped during the dooropening operation.

Although the structure is particularly useful for pushing a door open aperson may push his hand or a projection on the box in a position toengage the flange portion 26 to permit pulling of the door while the boxor other load is being carried by the person who is passing through thedoor.

It will be noted that the face plate 20 is provided with a sleeveportion 27 which normally receives the stem portion 28 of the doorknob17 serving as a bearing for such doorknob, the doorknob being held inplace by a conventional set screw 29 whereby after loosening of the setscrew 29 the doorknob 17 may be removed and the lever handle device ofthe present invention applied with the convex surface and tongues 24, 24extending inwardly toward the door and being hidden by the sleeveportion 27 of the face plate 20, the concave-convex portion 22 servingto cover the inner end of the shank portion 28 of the doorknob andthevarious parts serving to maintain the lever handle device in a fixedoperative location relative to shaft 18 so the parts are accuratelyguided to assure the operative location of the lever handle device atall times.

It will be noted that the showing in Figs. 3 and 4 illustrates the leverhandle device for application on the hidden side of the door as viewedin Fig. l, the parts thereof being identified with the same referencenumerals although the lever handle device of Figs. 3 and 4 are mirrorimages of the lever handle device shown in Fig. l.

The modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is similar to that shown inFigs. 1 to 4 inclusive but the flat lever portion 30 thereof extendsapproximately horizontal from the concave-convex portion 22, the otherparts being identified by the reference characters previously used,

the one lever handle device 31 being the mirror image of the leverhandle device 32.

Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, a modified form of the invention includes alever portion 33, the concave-convex ptgtion glwithl the opening 23therein and tongues 24 being substantially the same as structurepreviously described, the flat lever portion 33"extending substantiallyhorizontally from the opening. 23 and carrying a web handle portion'34.With this modification shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the same lever handledevice. may be used. on

each side of the door. since the web handle portion 34,

34 will extend substantially horizontal on either side of thedoor. i a

In Fig. 9 a further modification includes a lever por- 'tion 35 which isshown as bent outwardly from the plane of the radially extending rimportion 22A and out of the plane thereof away from the convex surfaceand then bent ina generally parallel relation to such rim portion 22Awith a web handle portion 25 and a flange portion 26 similar to thatpreviously described, the construction providing for greater clearancebetween the suriface of the door and the handle portion .25 whereby apersons hand or fingers may extend between thev lever portion and thedoor to provide for pulling on the handle device without regard to. thepresence or absence Upon reference to l0 and 1 1, the lever portion 36of the handle .is provided with a concaveconvex portion 37 with radiallyprojecting rim portion 38, the concave-convex. portion, being punched toprovide a'. square aperture 3 9, formed with triangular tongue gamma 5;

on each edge thereby providing a tongue for engaging eachsurface ofthesquare shaft 18. This structure is usable on anyofthe'lever handledevices previously described providing'for a positive engagement withthe shaft and sufficient area of contact on each surface to assure thatlever 36 remains in a definite radial plane under all conditions ofoperation.

From the above description it is believed evident that applicant hasprovided a latch operating lever handle device which can be readilyapplied on all doors by relatively unskilled persons withoutspecialtools, thereby converting a conventional doorknob operated latch to alever operating latch.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made in the invention without departing from thespirit and scopethereof and therefore the invention is .not limited by that which isillustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but onlyas indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for attachment to a doorknob shaft of a conventional latchoperating mechanism, said attachment including an elongated relativelyflat member having a concave-convex portion at one end with a squareopening extending therethrough, flat portions extending outwardly fromthe edges of said opening to form an extended surface area of contactwith the square shaft of said latch operated mechanism said memberprojecting radially from the concave-convex portion a substantialdistance beyond the outline of a conventional doorknob, the square open-'ing in said attachment being arranged so that when the attachment is ona doorknob shaft the member extends upwardly and laterally atsubstantially 45 toward the hinge edge of the door so that the upper endthereof is substantially above the doorknob with which the attachmentcooperates, a handle web portion projecting laterally from the other endof said body in the direction opposite the convex surface of said oneend, said handle web portion having a vertically projecting flangegenerally parallel with the plane of said concave-convex portion wherebya person may grip said handle and move the same to release the latch andeither push or pull the door, the handle web portion being located sothat an object may be placed upon the handle to move the handledownwardly thereby rotating the shaft and releasing the latch to permita person to open the door without unloading the object fromhishands. v j

v 2. The invention according to claim 1 in which the member is offsetto'space the handle outwardly from a door a greater distance than theplane of the concaveconvex end. Q 4

3. 'In a releasable latch operated by a door knob; the combination of aface plate having a sleeve bearing portion and alatch'operatingrectangular shaft extending through said face plate, of alever handle device including a relatively fiat levermember having atone end a concave-convex formation with a rectangular aperture and saidrectangular shaft inserted therein, saidconvex formation providingengagement with the sleeve bearing portion of'said face plate wherebythe flat lever member will be maintained in-a path extending radiallyfrom the shaft, said lever handle having tongues adjacent said apertureand extending from said concave-convexportion to provide for substantialareas of contact with the shaft to prevent relative movement thereto,and the other free end of "the flatmember'extending'outwardly to a-pointportion being movable up'wardly'or downwardly about the axis of thedoor. knobshaft andfixedlyconnected thereto for turningthe shaft andoperating the; latch, H v

4. A lever device forqnon-rotatable attachment directly to anon-circular shaftina knob operateddoor latchhaving a face plateknobgeceiving-bearing', said lever device comprising an-elongated lever;body, said. lever body having a concave-convex portion near one endthereof projecting therefrom and a.non-circular.aperture with tongues atthe edges thereof projecting laterally outwardly of the convex surfacefor insertablyreceiving the shaft in nonrotatable relation, theconcavity and convexity of the concave-convex portion being of a sizeand shape to be at least partially received within the face plate knobbearing and of a size to receive a portion of the shank of a door knobwhereby the lever will be maintained in a definite radial position withrespect to the shaft and the door knob and face plate while permittingthe lever to pivot with the shaft, an intermediate portion of the leverbody extending away transversely from the axis of the shaft andterminating in a web handle portion for engagement with the hand, saidweb handle portion projecting from the face of the lever opposite to theface from which the concaveconvex portion projects, said web handleportion and said intermediate portion serving as a lever with amechanical advantage to provide for ease of operation of the door latch.

5. A lever handle for attachment to the shaft of a door latch devicebetween a face plate of the latch and a door knob comprising anelongated lever having a concaveconvex formation and a non-circularopening at one end thereof and of a size and shape to be at leastpartially received within the face plate and adjacent the door knob andto snugly engage the latch operating shaft and having means to preventangular movement of said lever with closed by engagement with the handleportion of said lever.

6. The invention according to claim 5 in which a handle portion projectssubstantially radially from the aperture to provide for use of identicallevers on both sides of the door.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,538,438 Lawrence et a1 May 19, 1925 1,603,722 Stanley Oct. 19, 19261,624,051 Hansen Apr. 12, 1927 1,818,612 Floraday Aug. 11, 19312,254,040 Kuckhotf Aug. 26, 1941 2,355,978 Keeler Aug. 15, 19442,733,942 Palmer Feb. 7, 1956 2,801,122 Sutter July 30, 1957

